Fijians urged to get COVID-19 booster dose in light of the increase in cases

Fijians are being strongly advised to get their booster dose as immunity from COVID-19 vaccination wanes over time.

Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong says it has been well documented that the effectiveness of protection against COVID-19 after the first two doses of AstraZeneca is lower than with another COVID-19 vaccine, especially against the Omicron variant of concern.

Dr Fong says the current noticeable increase in cases indicates an urgency to increase efforts towards booster dose coverage.

He adds that the return of most of the medical immunisation staff has also helped to ensure support for escalating the Ministry of Health’s vaccine booster coverage program.

Currently, 95 percent of the target population have received the first two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and 30 percent of the population 18 years and over have had a booster dose.

Dr Fong says based on this and international evidence the Ministry recommends the booster dose interval for eligible persons over 18 years be reduced to 3 months after the 2nd dose in recognition of the risk of disease surge.